#oh how could i ever forget pingxie (dmbj):

[swdgf]

certain qidian authors shld start a side hustle writing dnmei actually 🙂‍↕️

[unforth]

May Trope Mayhem Day 1! Iron Triangle OT3 (vaguely Ultimate Notey?), Queerplatonic Relationship

Prompt Filled: Queerplatonic Relationship

Fandom: DMBJ (I tend to vision UN for things like this but it's non-specific)

Ship: Wang Pangzi/Zhang Qiling/Wu Xie (romantic Pingxie, platonic Pingpang and Pangxie)

Tags: vaguely post-canon, fluff, slice of life.

ON AO3

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Sometimes, Wu Xie worries.

When he’s visiting Wu Erbai, or Zhang Rishan, or even Huo Xiuxiu, and they ask after Xiaoge and then move on to the matter at hand as if Wu Xie has no one else he’s close to who deserves their polite inquiries.

When he’s aching and bloody and the next wave of the undead is approaching, and Xiaoge puts himself between Wu Xie and danger, and he forgets for a moment that anyone exists in the tomb - in the world - other than the two of them.

When he’s lying in Xiaoge’s arms, replete and satisfied, boneless and flush from the afterglow, but the bed feels too empty.

Loving Xiaoge is inevitable, irresistible, and Wu Xie does so as easily as he breathes. Xiaoge owns half his heart, and always will.

But achingly often, Wu Xie feels the absence of the other half of his heart, hurts for the way that Pangzi gets pushed aside, ignored, disregarded. 

He wants to cry for knowing how complicit he himself is in Pangzi’s erasure.

But then–

“Oh, there’s that fat fellow too, right?” says Wu Erbai indifferently, his expression growing uncertain under the weight of Wu Xie’s glare.

But then–

“Xiaoge”–Pangzi hops up, his knife emerging from its sheath with a shing–“there’s more here! I’ll guard this passage, you guard that one!”

But then–

“Pangzi made breakfast,” Xiaoge murmurs hot in Wu Xie’s ear. “You eat. I’ll clean up here.”

Wu Xie’s relationship with Xiaoge is different from his relationship with Pangzi, and Xiaoge’s relationship with Wu Xie is different from his relationship with Pangzi, and Pangzi’s relationship with each of them is also different.

The triangle has three corners, and the lines that connect each corner to the other two are equally bright and bold, even though those lines aren’t drawn identically.

Much of the time,, Wu Xie wonders if he takes too much for granted.

He will not, must not, ever take Pangzi for granted.

Because I love him.

“His name is Pangzi, Er-shu, and he’s great,” Wu Xie says pointedly, staring down his uncle until he can force the man to acknowledge with a slight glance askance that he’s forgotten someone important to Wu Xie, that he’s not allowed to forget someone as important to Wu Xie as Pangzi is.

I love him, Uncle. 

“You’re hurt, Pangzi,” he says once the mob of zombies lies in a mangled heap in the middle of the cavern in which they were attacked. “Let me carry you.”

“Too heavy,” grumbles Pangzi. “I’m fine.”

“I could,” Xiaoge offers.

Wu Xie ignores Xiaoge and carries Pangzi anyway. 

I love him, Xiaoge.

“Look what I made,” Pangzi says with a brilliant smile as Wu Xie enters the kitchenette. A broad, expansive gesture from his large, strong hand shows jian bing (a little too brown around the edges), fried pork buns (gleaming with excessive oil), and store-bought youtian (cooked over-crispy when they were reheated). Xiaoge ghosts into the room behind Wu Xie, lingering in the doorway, and Wu Xie’s mind and heart flood with how beloved this moment is: them (together), in this place (together), sharing this meal (together), entwining their lives (together, together, always together).

Overflowing, Wu Xie circles the table and grabs Pangzi in a rough hug. Pangzi tenses, but doesn’t pull away.

“Wha?”

“I love you,” says Wu Xie, voice husky. 

“Tianzhen,” Pangzi replies awkwardly. “You don’t have to–”

“I love you,” Wu Xie repeats, holding him tighter. “I love you, Pangzi. I love you.”

Finally, Pangzi relaxes, returns the embrace, pats Wu Xie’s back. “It’s getting cold,” he says, hoarse, affected. I love you, too, Wu Xie hears, just as he heard it when Pangzi said I’ll guard the other passage, just as he heard when Xiaoge said Pangzi made breakfast, just as he hears it every time Pangzi chooses to stay with them, chooses to come with them, chooses to share their bed, chooses to have Wu Xie and Xiaoge in his life when he could have anyone else instead.

Wu Xie is about to pull away - he knows any longer of a display of affection will just make Pangzi uncomfortable - but then Xiaoge is there too, holding Pangzi from behind as Wu Xie holds him from the front, and for an endless, too-brief minute, they stand there together, the platonic love of Wu Xie’s life and the romantic love of Wu Xie’s life there with him, his perfect Iron Triangle.

“Enough already,” Pangzi grumbles, shaking them both off. “Sit. Eat.” And he demonstrates by leading the way, dropping into his chair and overfilling his own plate in flagrant disregard of Xiaoge’s and Wu Xie’s sitting empty on the other side of the table.

“Mn.” Xiaoge takes his own seat, filling Wu Xie’s plate and then his own.

As clearly as if the words have been said, Wu Xie knows that’s Xiaoge saying, I love Pangzi, too.

And Wu Xie can only stand and smile at these two men, these two halves of his heart, these two loves of a lifetime.

“Take more,” Pangzi urges around a full mouth, gesturing toward Xiaoge with his chopsticks; Xiaoge obeys as Wu Xie takes his seat.

It smells amazing, but still not as good as his two friends look.

Fuck, how lucky he is.

[yue-muffin]

Time Raiders (2016)

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

In my quest to consume the entirety of the DMBJ franchise available in English, I have decided to start with the non-canon movie because at least this one has an ending, unlike the train wreck that is Reboot/Chongqi’s pacing. I will probably be bitter about that for all eternity, but I digress. I heard good things about the movie from the bird app, and as I am a Pingxie shipper at heart, I decided to finally watch this one.

P A R T O N E

The cut-in animation to the title was gorgeous, I do so love the qilin in every adaptation. It’s particularly striking here with the gold outline and geometric, maze-like lines. It looks like the cards at the very beginning were being arranged in the image of this qilin.

My first reaction upon seeing white people in a dmbj adaptation is: oh no, the English, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear perfect English that matches the actor’s lips! What a miracle, haha. I remember The Lost Tomb 2 being the worst for how many lines had to be in English, sob.

These look so cool. I see we start off with a good old “seeking immortality” antagonist, and an obsessed collector who has dedicated his whole life to this apparently. As usual, he is a scumbag threatening the locals.

The old guy’s accented English is also better than TLT2, ha. The breathy/nasal quality is not at all uncommon. I don’t know what language the locals speak though.

Me, immediately: Zhang Qiling already??

I know he appears in rather early in TLT1, TLT2, and Reboot/Chongqi, but he’s so often mysteriously absent or stuck behind a gate (or in Reboot’s case, put on a bus) that I got excited, ok.

My favorite Zhang Qilings are the cold-looking pretty boy types in terms of my mental image of the character, but this one is also very easy on the eyes and as usual, unfazed in the face of danger coming at him with a knife. This is the only series in which I’m not bothered by the constant cast change between adaptations (unlike Ever Night), I suppose since it’s been this way from the start.

I’m interested in seeing how the backstories differ from canon. It’s actually rather interesting that this is pretty much an official AU, like that’s kind of wild as a concept. I’m used to the late 1990s/early 2000s anime adding new characters and changing plot points and endings everywhere, but Time Raiders takes it a step further.

Zhang Qiling being an ultra-competent badass who doesn’t even need a weapon to take the bad guys down never changes, no matter the universe. He steamrolls everyone, no questions asked.

Did he- he break the blade with his bare hands hahaha. Oh, yup, and a Zhang Qiling with a weapon is even more dangerous. I see those severed fingers. Such a good fight scene and we’re not even 5 minutes into the movie.

I love how he could have simply fired the arrow while he was still on the statue, then jumped down, but he had to be Extra and fire while he was jumping off haha.

It- the divine piece was right there?? By “beneath the statue” I would have thought it would at least be under it, not in a convenient little slot on the side of the altar area haha. So Zhang Qiling’s mission is to destroy the divine piece(s)? To, um, save the world apparently.

WHO ARE YOU? What an excellent question to ask a Zhang Qiling (and that staring into the mirror shot, too.)… I wonder if this one even knows - it’s possible he doesn’t have his signature amnesia here.

Wait- a gate? I think it’s in a cave or something in the novels, but gates have significance in DMBJ. The cinematography is really nice in these mountain shots. I know nothing about film, but I like the shots in the snowy mountains.

This Zhang Qiling knows and practices martial arts on screen! You would think he’d pull some moves normally, but in the drama-adaptations he tends to just beat people up as efficiently as possible. Sometimes with his sword. Other times he just fights ‘em. I have to admit Jing Boran looks excellent going through some forms. He nailed the force and power underlying every movement, then exploding outward with a strike. I do like the impression it leaves.

I, on the other hand, am an absolute noodle and look ridiculous when I do martial arts.

What in the world is happening in this flashback scene with the weird CGI qilin. Ah, it’s when he received his tattoo. That was super dramatic.

Wushanju is looking real edgy with the heavy iron gate on the interior, haha.

He is puzzling (ha!) over those cards so intensely you’d think it was a thousand piece puzzle instead haha. You’re almost there! Just a few more to finish the qilin!

Aw, is this our Wu Xie? Haha his facial hair is- hm. But I love his voice it’s so soft. Really fits that “Mr. Naive” vibe.

Is that. Is that the author of the series. I found out that he makes cameos in almost all (if not all of) the adaptations!

NO. ONLY I CAN FINISH THE PUZZLE. HANDS OFF BUDDY.

Why are there so many pigeons in here. Who let them inside.

A writer, who came to hear his story and turn it into a novel- HA yup it’s the author.

“This should be a story about me and him.”

Ahh I’m loving it already. DMBJ is the ultimate bromance story. Fair warning, I do ship Pingxie so my shipper goggles will be on throughout the movie. But even without shipping, you do have to admit the series is a bromance underneath all the mystery – between the Iron Triangle, between Wu Xie and Xiaoge.

This Wu Xie is a photographer and that is sort of adorable. Already there’s a theme emerging of needing to record events and telling stories. Interesting that he wants to turn his memories into a novel to record his experiences, because otherwise he’s afraid those memories might turn into a mere story in his own head. Wu Xie, that’s a worrying mindset.

Those ancient mask things always make me crack up, I don’t know why.

Ooh, background about Wu Xie’s birth into the Wu family. I’ve never read up to the part in the books where they go into his place in the family in detail. To be fair, his grandfather had three sons and only one of them had any kids – and Wu Xie is his parents’ only child. So, he becomes the only one who can really carry on the family legacy. Aw, I really like seeing his extended family present though! In the dramas we only ever get either his Second or Third Uncle, and he rarely ever mentions his parents even though they’re alive.

And there’s his namesake! The origin of his nickname, and the irony once the story gets into the Sha Hai timeline.

Wu Xie was a bit of a rascal as a kid, haha. To be fair he has a pretty sharp tongue in the novels and is mostly a pure cinnamon roll in the early dramas.

Little Wu Xie in a suit is so adorable. Nooo kid don’t go into locked up abandoned places. He’s already so adventurous haha. Seems that it’s not actually abandoned judging by all the lights on, but.

UH. MASKED MAN BEHIND YOU. I think he wants that item back. This is why you don’t go into abandoned places, kid. He definitely does not learn his lesson though. Also why are you still holding onto that thing, just drop it, I think he wants it back.

Haha he kept one of the coins.

WOAH. Every month someone in your family dies?? That’s uh- sort of traumatic. Also that would be a really good first line for a novel…Just saying. I do love the singing though.

Oh, the Nine Families exist in this universe too! They even give a quick explanation about the ranking system.

Oh yeah, I love how Wu Xie is such a nerd for all this knowledge of ancient texts and tombs. And YES HE FINALLY DOCUMENTS STUFF FOR ONCE.

Uncle Three looked dead for a moment there, scared the shit out of me too.

VAMPIRE MOTHS? Oh I hate bugs I would not be okay lol. WHOOPS. You guys are really good at reading ancient texts on the fly lol.

That’s the mask he has in the beginning of the film, isn’t it. NO DON’T TOUCH THINGS IN TOMBS. AHHH. So you just put it on your face?? Well that was a stupidly simple way to open the door. I’m guessing the creator didn’t care if anyone opened it.

This guy just severed his own arm, ok…and how many years later is his hand still clinging to it? UH. THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T TOUCH THINGS IN TOMBS. Then he proceeds to steal the box thing.

Ah the white dude again. I am so happy there is GOOD ENGLISH though haha.

Oh, hi Zhang Qiling. Just hanging out on a rooftop I see.

He looks so melancholy. Someone give him a hug! This adaptation makes him more human, less stoic robotic superhuman, I noticed. You rarely see him eat or drink anything in the other adaptations, but here he’s just chilling on a rooftop having some drinks haha. It’s ok. I love all the Zhang Qilings.

WHAT THE HELL, LIGHTNING? What the hell is this high tech machinery haha. Eight days? Coincidentally eight days after sitting in a tomb for how many years.

That is a very Extra bookcase to hold a book that apparently has ALL the secrets.

WOW that is a fancy notebook. It looks so beat up in the other versions haha. In this one, it even gets its own hidden shelf in a giant portable bookshelf!

The props for this franchise are so cool and detailed. I always wish they would show more of the creative process in the BTS, I’m such a nerd for that stuff. The Longest Day in Chang’an was pretty good at that, which is half of my enjoyment of that show haha!

I’m also still pleasantly surprised they bothered to incorporate other languages. I’m not sure what the Snake Lady and the old man in the beginning were speaking, but at least the English is good.

I can’t believe they worked in a steampunk chastity belt this movie went all out, huh. Also with these weirdly high tech structures and lightning and moving tomb structures.

And all the pieces start coming together! So that’s why it’s believed they hold the secret to immortality. What a steampunk-looking key.

Is that a writing desk??

Oh, they’re getting a team together to go tomb raiding! Ha, forget money! You may or may not end up dying on this adventure, so who cares about money, right.

He’s so cute standing there with his camera. Look at the little smile as he watches everything going on!

It’s a desk and a storage container?? Oh, there are ~qualifications~ to going on tomb raiding. Makes sense. That is the oddest looking sword.

Must appreciate Zhang Qiling’s fingers in every adaptation. They look very strong and steady here. Let’s not talk about the slooow trailing across the handle.

Wow did you really just throw sand in his face. Have we not learned not to mess with Zhang Qiling after he trounced that first guy who attacked him. I love the fight scenes so much after the bore-fest that was Reboot/Chongqi’s second half of Season 1.

Super pretty, but why did it cause him to stop and stare in the middle of the fight?

This is like a Final Fantasy sword haha. Also I think you should stop while you’re ahead, why did you think a table would stop this dude. (Hey, it’s Da Kui! He was in the novel but not TLT1.).

It’s HERE. Their first meeting. How did he know the coin was on that cord? It wasn’t visible, I don’t think. But uh. That was a hilarious move on his part, he is so Extra?? He just casually flicks the necklace off with his big-ass sword and it drops into his hand. Then casually goes “oh, here, you dropped this” as if he wasn’t the one responsible for it coming off in the first place!!

HERE IT COMES. The unnecessarily long eye contact. Pingxie in every adaptation needs a Staring Into Your Eyes scene.

Real smooth.

Ahh this Wu Xie is such a cutie. He’s like a puppy.

WHAT. Third Uncle, I can’t believe you let him tag along so easily haha. In the beginning he was scolding Wu Xie to never get involved in tomb business, then what happens? They’re going tomb raiding!!

Next Up: to the tomb we go! This can’t end badly or anything what are you talking about.